Locking- means fob



J. MOHR.

LOCKING MEANS FOR EXTENSION TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I8. 1919.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

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JULIUS MOHR, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

LOCKING- MEANS FOR EXTENSION-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

Application filed March 18, 1919. Serial No. 283,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS MOHR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Means for Extension-Tables; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in extension tables, and more particularly to means for locking the sections thereof together.

Heretofore it has been customary in devices of this type, when reduced to their smallest size to lock the two sections together by means of a centrally located lock actuated by a rod or the like extending to the edge of one of the sections. But, when the table is provided with drawers as in the present case, or with a leaf receptacle as in my United States Patent No. 1,225,991, it is diflicult or impossible to operate such central locking means.

I It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a locking means which may be used in conjunction with either of the types of tables just referred to and which means will be readily accessible at all times.

Another object is to provide means for locking the sections of an extensible table together at two separated points, but which may be operated by means of a single actuating lever.

A further object is to provide means for drawing the table sections together when slightly spaced apart so as to cause their contacting edges to tightly engage.

A still further object is to provide means in connection with the locking arrangement to mechanically force the table sections apart when it is desired to unlock the same, thus eliminating any possibility of the sections sticking together.

l/Vith these and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the drawing Figure 1 of the drawing just referred to represents a plan View of an eXtension table having my improved locking means mounted thereon, parts of the table top being broken away to more clearly disclose the underlying structure, and

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail transverse sectional views taken respectively on planes of the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the table includes a pair of semi-circular top portions 1 and 2, the straight edges of which are adapted to engage when there are no leaves to be disposed therebetween. These sections of the table top are supported upon a central pedestal (not shown), and upon a plurality of slides 3 carried thereby. Adjacent the peripheral edge of the sections is the usual depending apron 4 which, in the present instance is cut away at a pair of spaced points as shown at 5 to permit the insertion of a drawer 6 in each of the sections 1 and 2. This structure is of standard design and forms no part of the present invention.

For the purpose of locking the'adjacent edges of the sections 1 and 2 in contacting relation, I provide the under side of the section 2 with an elongated groove 7 which is disposed parallel to the straight edge of said section and is adapted to slidably re ceive a locking bar 8, which bar is somewhat shorter than the groove to permit of a considcrable range of movement. Extending from the bar 8 adjacent each end thereof and projecting beyond the adjacent straight edge of the section 2 are arms 9, each of which carries a locking finger 10 having two cam faces.

When the sections 1 and 2 of the table are in contact, or in close proximity, the fingers 10 are positioned between pairs of spaced depending locking pins 11 and 12, each pair of pins is carried by a plate 13 fixed to the under side of the section 1 adjacent the straight edge thereof. The central vertical plane of each pair of pins 11 and 12 is substantially at right angles to the line of movement of the locking bar 8.

As a means for actuating the locking bar 8, I provide an intermediately pivoted lever 14 having a handle 15 and fulcrumed to a carrying plate 16. The end of the lever 14. remote from the handle 15 is bifurcated as at 17 to receive a pin 18 that depends from one end portion of the locking bar 8. A

, 10 to force the table sections apart.

. moved outwardly.

contractile spring 19 connected to the lever 1 1 and the plate 16 normally urges the bar 8 to alocking position when the handle is located as shown in Fig. l of the drawing.

Referring nowto Fig. 1, it will be seen that the two sections of the table-may be unlocked and mechanically forced apart. a slight distance by movement of the handle 15 inwardly of the table. causes the bar 8 to slide in one direction so as to move the fingers 10 from between the pins lland 12, the pins 12 at this time being engaged by one cam face of the fingers Such sections may now' be manually farther moved apartfor the insertion of one or more leaves. The spring 19 holds the parts in their operative position until it is again desired to lock the table sections together.

When it is again desired to lock the sections 1 and 2 together, the leaf or leaves are removed and said sections shoved together, or nearly together, the handle 15 being then Now upon the release of the handle 15, the pins 11 will be engaged by the other cam faces of the fingers 10 to draw the straight edges of the table sections into tight engagement and to lock the same together.

, Although the accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that various minor changes may be made in the form and proportion of the various parts without departing from'or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, for instance instead of the two-part locking arrangement provided, I might use a single locking means located centrally of the table sections, but

actuatedfin somewhat the same manner as the mechanism illustrated.

I I claim:

1. A table of the class described having its top formed in two sections movable away from each other, but normally disposed in contact, a locking member carried by one section, a bar held in sliding engagement with the under side of the other section, means for moving'the bar longitudinally, a locking arm fixed to the bar and extending laterally therefrom and projecting beyond the contacting edge of the last mentioned section, and a finger extended from said arm in the direction ofthe movement of said bar, said finger having an inclined face for engagement with said locking member when said bar is moved in one direction to draw the sections together when slightly spaced apartfand to lockthe same in contacting position. i

2. A table of the class described having I its top formed in two sections movable away from each other, but normally disposed in contact, one ofsaid sections having an elon gated groove'formed in its under side, a

Such operation a bar slidable longitudinally in said groove, means for moving said bar, a locking arm extending laterally from the bar and projecting beyond the contacting edge of the last mentioned section, and a finger extended from said arm in thedirection of the movement of said bar, said finger having an in clined face for engagement with said lock ing'member when said bar is moved in one direction to draw the sections together when slightly apart and to lock the same in contacting position. r

3. A table of lel and adjacent to its contacting edge, a

locking member carried by the underside of the other section and disposed adjacent its the class described havingits top formed in two sections movable awaycontacting edge, a bar slidable longitudi nally in said groove, an arm extending laterally from said bar and projecting beyond the adjacent contacting edge of the section, a finger projecting from saidarm approximately parallel to said bar, said finger having an inclined face for engagement with said locking member when the bar is moved in one direction, and means for moving said bar to engage the finger with the locking member to draw the sections together when slightly spaced apart and to lock the same in contacting position. 7

4. A table of the class described having its top formed in two sections movable away from each other, but normally disposed in contact, a pair of spaced locking members carried by one of said sections and disposed adjacent its contacting edge, an elongated bar slidably carried by the under side of the other section-and movable longitudinally of its contacting edge, a pair of spaced locking arms extending laterally from said bar and projecting beyond the contacting edge of the adjacent table section, a finger extending from each of said arms approximately parallel to said bar, and means for shifting the bar to engage said fingers with said locking members.

ing laterally therefrom beyond the contacting edge of the last mentioned section, a finger extending from'said arm and adapted to operate between said spaced pins, said finger having a pair of cam faces for engagement with said pins, and means for shifting said sliding bar, one cam face of said finger being engageable with one of said pins when table top sections and to shove the same the bar is moved in one direction to draw apart.

- the table top sections together, when slightly In testmony that I claim the foregoing I 10 spaced apart, and to lock the same in conhave hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in

5 tacting position, the other cam face being the county of Milwaukee and State of HS- engageable with the other pin when said bar consin. is moved in a reverse direction to unlock the JULIUS MOHR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

